Israeli man released from Hamas captivity after 491 days comes home to find wife, two daughters dead

An Israeli man who was released after enduring 491 days in Hamas captivity, was left devastatedafter he found out that his wife, Leanne, and daughters, Noya (16) and Yahel (13), were killed during a Hamas attack on October 7. Unaware about the death of his family in Kibbutz Be’eri, Sharabi was happy thinking about reuniting with his wife and daughters. In a heart-wrenching moment captured on video, Sharabi was seen expressing his joy upon release, saying, “I am very happy today to return to my wife and daughters.” Adding to his grief, he also received the devastating news of his brother, Yossi Sharabi, death in captivity just before his release. His brother’s body is still held in Gaza. Sharabi was among three hostages freed as part of a prisoner exchange deal under an internationally brokered ceasefire agreement, which saw Israel release 183 Palestinian prisoners. The other two hostages, Ohad Ben Ami and Or Levy, were handed over to the Red Cross before reuniting with their families in Israel. In South Wales, Gillian and Pete Brisley, Sharabi’s in-laws, watched his release on TV, clutching a teddy bear that once belonged to their late daughter, Leanne. The stuffed toy served as a poignant reminder of the family’s profound loss and the emotional ties that spanned continents. “While Gill was crying, she was holding on to the teddy bear, which was Lianne’s from the age of about 10,” Pete Brisley shared. “When we went to the house [in Kibbutz Be’eri], it was filthy, bullet holes everywhere. We tidied up so if Eli wanted to come home to it, it looked reasonable because it was an absolute shambles.” Sharabi was informed of his family’s deaths only after returning to Israel. The family had hoped he would have been told earlier to help him process the grief gradually, said Stephen Brisley, Leanne’s brother.